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OAA (Outs Above Average) is Statcast's modern fielding metric, measuring how many outs a fielder records above (or below) what an average fielder would record on the same opportunities. Elite team OAA is around +30 outs over a season; poor is around -30.
OAA uses Statcast tracking to estimate the probability a play is converted to an out based on the starting position of the fielder, the speed and angle of the batted ball, and the difficulty of the play. Each play has an expected out probability. Actual out vs. expected = the fielder's contribution.
For individual fielders, OAA tells you how many extra outs they record per opportunity. Aggregated to a team, it tells you whether the defense is helping or hurting the pitcher.
Individual fielder (per season):
Team aggregate (per season):
Strong defenses convert more would-be hits into outs, which suppresses opposing team BABIP and ERA. The market often prices pitcher stats (ERA, FIP) without adjusting for defense behind them. A 4.20 ERA pitcher backed by a -20 OAA defense has pitched better than a 4.20 ERA pitcher backed by a +30 OAA defense, because the strong defense has been saving the second pitcher runs.
For betting:
OAA is Statcast-derived (camera-tracked fielder positions, the distance and time needed to reach the ball, and runner speed). DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) and UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) are older metrics that use observational data with less precision. OAA is generally more accurate at the player level.
Team OAA (the plain sum of each fielder's Statcast OAA, with no position weighting) is one of the model's inputs. The team whose own defense has the higher OAA gets a run-prevention edge in the moneyline run margin (0.02 runs per out of OAA gap, capped at one run, then weighted at 0.6), because its pitchers' balls in play become outs more often. In 2026 game reports this term usually moves the margin by less than half a run. The first-inning read also uses a defense factor built from the same OAA edge.
Theory is one thing, using the concept on tonight's slate is the value. These hubs are the practical application: